Southwest and American Airlines Strikes May Be Coming

An American Airlines strike is in the works as flight attendants are seeking the right to strike amid stagnant contract negotiations. These actions raise concerns about potential disruptions to holiday travel, despite assurance from American that there’s “no possibility” of a holiday walkout. Union heads for the flight attendants have expressed their disappointment with the stalled contract discussions, especially for the employees who haven’t seen a pay hike since 2019.

In response to this stagnation, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants approached the National Mediation Board this Monday. They requested an official declaration of deadlock in the negotiations and sought authorization to strike, pending a 30-day “cooling-off” interlude.

Simultaneously, Southwest pilots demonstrated their preparedness for action by establishing a “strike center” in Dallas this week. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association representatives voiced their intention to request strike permissions should the airline fail to reach a contract settlement in the coming days.

Facing the ticking clock, a strike countdown for Dec. 29 is live at the pilots’ union headquarters. Yet, the certainty of these strikes coming to fruition is not set in stone. Federal legislation makes it significantly challenging for airline workers to strike or for carriers to enforce lockouts. Strikes and lockouts are only legally permissible if federal mediators declare an impasse in negotiations — an infrequent occurrence. Moreover, the president or Congress holds the power to veto a strike that could adversely impact the economy. The last instance of a U.S. airline union going on strike was back in 2010, involving Spirit Airlines’ pilots.

American Airlines contests the union’s view that the negotiations are at a stalemate. In a statement, the airline maintains that it has consistently presented an “industry-leading economic proposal.” Moreover, they claim to be making progress on other contract items while being open to continue engaging with the union and the National Mediation Board to find a resolution.

The flight attendants’ union has put forward demands for immediate raises of 35%, followed by annual increases of 6% under a three-year deal. American Airlines’ counter-proposal promises an 11% immediate raise, which it argues amounts to 18% when accounting for higher pay during passenger boarding. This would be followed by 2% annual increases. Other requests from the union include larger 401(k) contributions and increased rest time.

This dispute comes in the wake of American Airlines’ pilots securing raises exceeding 40% over four years. Flight attendants from American Airlines and pilots from Southwest Airlines are undoubtedly taking note of collective action success from other industries. The United Auto Workers and TV screenwriters and actors recently netted improved contracts following extended strikes, and the Teamsters won sizeable pay raises for more than 300,000 United Parcel Service workers by threatening to strike.

On Thursday, a sense of urgency seemed to permeate through rows of American Airlines flight attendants who picketed outside the company’s Texas headquarters. Signs reading “Ready to strike” were on full display, soliciting supportive honks from passing drivers.